Von Der Leyen Visits Bundeswehr Exercises Amidst Procurement Debacle

BERGEN, GERMANY - OCTOBER 10: German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen attends an in land operation exercises at the Bundeswehr training ground on October 10, 2014 near Bergen, Germany. Von der Leyen is having to deal with revelations that a large portion of Germany's military hardware, including helicopters, jet fighters, transport planes and tanks, are currently inoperable due to a shortage of spare parts and a lack of investment over recent years. In addition a recent independent audit she commissioned claims that all of the nine biggest investment projects in new hardware by the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, over the last few decades have been beset by massive cost overruns and debilitating delays. Critics have called for a total overhaul of the Bundeswehr's procurement process. (Photo by Alexander Koerner/Getty Images)